Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are watching the first trailer for Thor: Love and Thunder at an impressive rate, with the minute and a half teaser bringing in 209 million views in the first 24 hours of its release. Marvel Studios shared the news on Twitter which was accompanied by a gif from the trailer of Thor working out with massive chains while wearing a "Strongest Avenger" trucker cap, a callback to the running joke of who actually is the mightiest member of the team. "World's strongest Avenger with the world's best fans!" reads the caption. "Thank you for the 209M views in 24 hours!" Flexing bicep and lightning bolt emojis fittingly end the caption.
The fourth installment in Thor's branch of the MCU is clearly eagerly awaited by fans, a fact not lost on its director Taika Waititi. In his own tweet hyping the trailer, he took playful aim at the expectations of fans, writing "Here is the full-length finished movie. Eat and enjoy." After poking a bit more fun at people asking for a full-length trailer, he also admitted he's anxious to see more himself. "To be fair, I also can't wait," he said. "Seeing people see this teaser has made even me excited to see this film."
Even with the short run time, the trailer is packed with hints of what's to come in Love and Thunder. In one shot just before the minute mark, the MCU's pantheon of mythical gods is broadened by a brief look at Russell Crowe as Zeus. Known as the King of the Olympians in Marvel Comics, Zeus is based on the mythological Greek god of the same name. His arrival may herald the arrival of other characters based on Greek myths that have been attached to the Avengers in the comics, such as the god of war Ares and the half-god hero Hercules.
The trailer also shows one of the more comics-accurate images so far, with Thor and his companion Korg shown standing on a rock overlooking the massive body of a dead monster. The shot is nearly an exact recreation of a panel from Thor: God of Thunder Vol. 1 #3 where the corpse is identified as Falligar the Behemoth who was felled by none other than Gorr the God Butcher.
Gorr is set to be an antagonist in Love and Thunder, with actor Christian Bale bringing the villain to the big screen. Also returning is Natalie Portman as Jane Foster/Mighty Thor, who makes a brief appearance at the end of the trailer wielding a visibly cracked Mjolnir. Marvel has officially named Jane as the Mighty Thor, and a Marvel Legends collectible figure further confirms that she is adopting the mantle as she did in the comics.
Thor: Love and Thunder is set to premiere in theatres on July 8.
Source: Twitter